Thursday, September 1, 2011

9:53 AM

The national Club for Growth has endorsed former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann in the race for the state's open U.S. Senate seat next fall, calling the southeastern Wisconsin homebuilder "one of the most principled congressmen to serve in decades."

"Mark has won numerous awards for his efforts to cut government spending and would be a strong ally for fiscal conservatives in the United States Senate," the group said in its endorsement. "Mark's primary opponents would not demonstrate nearly the same leadership on spending."

Neumann declared his candidacy Monday. Other candidates likely to enter the GOP field include former Gov. Tommy Thompson, Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald and state Sen. Frank Lasee.

CFG has criticized Thompson's prospective candidacy and ran a TV ad ripping his record on state spending and health care reform. That led to a charge from Thompson's team that Neumann allies were behind the CFG attacks.

The Wisconsin chapter of Club For Growth said Wednesday that it has not taken sides in the race and that it was not consulted about the national group's ad.